THE BEER NUT: We're Funk'd Festival is coming back

Norman Miller Daily News Staff @Norman_MillerMW

Wednesday

Jul 4, 2018 at 10:45 AM

This week in beer news, we learn that a local brewery is sponsoring the We're Funk'd Festival, several Massachusetts residents won awards at the National Homebrew Competition. Another local brewery is having a pig roast, and a Plymouth brewery releases a new witbier.

Night Shift Brewing Company and Springdale by Jack’s Abby Craft Lagers is once again sponsoring the We’re Funk’d Festival.

The festival, which is a celebration of sour and wild ales, will be held on July 15 at the Boylston Schul-Verein, 8 County St., Walpole.

The festival was started last year after Anheuser-Busch bought West Ashville, North Carolina, brewery Wicked Weed and several breweries dropped out of its annual sour beer festival.

This year, proceeds from the We’re Funk’d Festival will be donated to Easter Seals Massachusetts and the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Tickets are $40 and available at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/were-funkd-festival-2018-tickets-44427253110.

Along with the beer, there will be live music and food trucks.

Participating breweries are: Allagash Brewing Company of Maine, Burley Oak Brewing Company of Maryland, Cascade Brewing of Washington, DESTIHL Brewery of Illinois, Lookout Farm Brewing & Cider Co. of Natick, Rhinegeist Brewery of Ohio and Two Roads Brewing Company of Connecticut, Upland Brewing Company of Indiana and Wooden Robot Brewery of North Carolina.

Homebrewers take home the gold

In other beery news, several Massachusetts homebrewers took home awards from the American Homebrewers Association’s annual National Homebrew Competition held in Portland, Oregon.

Nathan Williams of Somerville, a member of the Boston Wort Processors homebrew club, was named Cidermaker of the Year by the AHA. He also took first place in the Specialty Cider category.

Jeremy Adams of the Jefferson section of Holden, a member of Mid-Mass Malt Masters, took first place in the Amber & Brown American Ale category. Benjamin Amidon of Arlington, also a member of the Boston Wort Processors, took second place in the American Porter & Stout category, while Ross Druckenmiller of Brighton, of the Boston Wort Processors, took second place in the Smoke-Flavored & Wood-Aged Beer category.

Matthew Borden of South Boston, and yet another member of the Boston Wort Processors, took third in the Amber European Beer category.

In all, more than 3,500 homebrewers entered more than 8,400 beers into the completion.

Going whole hog

On Sunday, Idle Hands Craft Ales will celebrate its second year in Malden with its second annual Pig Roast.

The pig Roast will be held at the brewery, 89 Commercial St., Malden, from 2 to 9 p.m. on Sunday.

The pig will be prepared by the Brato Brewhouse & Kitchen, a brewpub that has plans to open in Brighton.

Along with a full lineup of Idle Hands beers and a whole roasted pig, there will be live reggae music and other activities.

The event is 21 plus, but children 12 and younger are permitted.

Brewing an American history lesson

Finally, Mayflower Brewing Company of Plymouth has announced the release of a new witbier, Peregrine.

Peregrine is brewed with Pilsner, Wheat and Oat malt and Sorachi Ace hops, as well as coriander and orange.

Its name has a historical origin.

“As we thought about brewing a white beer, or witbier as it’s called in Belgium, we decided it would be fun to name it after Peregrine White, the first baby born on the Mayflower in Cape Cod harbor and the first child born to the Pilgrims in America," said Mayflower Brewing Company founder Drew Brosseau. “The fact that his name is the same as a really cool bird of prey makes it even better.”

Four-packs of Peregrine are currently available in stores.

Norman Miller is a Daily News staff writer. Email him at nmiller@wickedlocal.com or call 508-626-3823. Check out the Beer Nut blog at http://www.metrowestdailynews.com/section/blogs01?taxid=646&start=2. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram @RealBeerNut and on Facebook at facebook.com/NormanMillerBeerNut.